High capacity container with multiple discharge locations

ABSTRACT

A container assembly comprises a container and a base and is configured to be transported horizontally to a work site where it is raised to a vertical working orientation. A hoppered container floor directs material to a discharge opening in a center of the floor of the container. A plurality of chutes is fixed to the container assembly and each slopes downward and outward from a chute input, located under a central portion of the hoppered floor, to a corresponding chute output. A distributor assembly mounted under the discharge opening receives granular material from the discharge opening and directs same into any one of the chute inputs. When loaded on a gooseneck trailer the container extends over the hitch assembly providing increased volume and capacity.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of, and claims priority to,co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/622,360, which was filedon Dec. 13, 2019, was entitled High Capacity Container with MultipleDischarge Locations, which was a national stage entry of PCT ApplicationNo. PCT/US18/37185, filed Jun. 13, 2018, and which further claimedpriority to Canadian Patent Application No. 2970932, which was filedJun. 16, 2017. The content of the prior applications is incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is in the field of transporting and installing containerssuch as silos, bins, tanks, or the like, and in particular suchcontainers that must be installed in a location at a work site withoutlet ports located at a desired position, and where the desiredposition can change from one work site to another.

BACKGROUND

In many industries it is required to set up an array of equipment at atemporary work site, and then disassemble the installation, move it toanother work site, and re-assemble it. For example asphalt and concreteplants are often set up in locations where large quantities of materialare required for mad or building construction. Similarly well drillingrigs, such as those drilling for oil and gas, are set up at a drillinglocation, then taken down and moved to a different drilling location.

These portable plants and rigs typically require temporary storage forwater, asphalt, sand, cement, and other materials such as might berequired at any particular work site. Thus various tanks, bins, silos,and like containers are transported to the work site, commonly in alowered horizontal transport orientation, and then raised to a verticalworking orientation at the work site.

This vertical orientation reduces the ground area, or footprint,occupied by the installation. Also bins containing dry granular materialespecially are often elongated vertically when in a working position tomaximize the quantity of material stored above a hoppered bottom suchthat the granular material will flow out by gravity. Containers holdinggranular material typically have a hoppered bottom with walls slopingtoward an outlet port at the bottom of one side of the container so thatall the material inside will flow out through the outlet port, leavingthe container empty.

These containers are typically transported to the work site by flat-bedtrucks or trailers in a lowered horizontal transport orientation. Thetrailer is maneuvered into position, and then the container is raisedfrom the horizontal transport position to a vertical working positionresting on the ground, and the trailer is moved away from the site. Suchwork sites are often crowded with such containers in order to place themaximum amount of material in the desired accessible location. Thetrailers carrying the required containers must be maneuvered alongsometimes limited access routes into positions where the containers willbe in a desired orientation when moved to the working position.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,939,697 to the present inventor Herman provides atransportable container with increased flexibility of positioning thecontainer at a crowded work site. The container has a single output portin a lower side wall thereof however is attachable to the transportingtrailer on three sides. Thus, with knowledge of the desired orientationof the output port at the work site and of the available routes to thecontainer location, the container can be mounted to the trailer on aside thereof selected so that when unloaded and moved to the verticaloperating position the outlet port is in a desired location.

Commonly the container includes a chute under the outlet port to directgranular material flowing from the port onto a conveyor belt or thelike. The chute may be pivotally mounted to the container and/ortelescoping to provide some flexibility to the discharge location andthus to the positioning of the container. The discharge location alsomust be at a sufficiently high vertical location that the receivingapparatus, such as a conveyor, blender, or the like can be positionedunder the discharge.

Such containers are also known that have a center outlet port in thebottom, however a conveyor or the like is then required to receive thematerial and carry it to a location outside the container. Alternativelythe container can be mounted on legs and a chute can receive thematerial and direct it to a location beside the container, however thismakes containers of the same capacity somewhat higher and less stable.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,315,294, also to the present inventor Herman, addressesa stability problem with such vertical containers with an outlet port onone side. As granular material flows out of the outlet port, thematerial above the port inside the container flows out first and thelevel of granular material inside the container on the port side thereofabove the fixed outlet port falls until the angle of repose of theparticular material is reached, and material from the opposite side ofthe container begins to flow. Thus the loaded container is unbalanced,with more weight on the side opposite the port, making the containerless stable, as the wind force necessary to be exerted on the port sideof the container to tip the container over is reduced.

The Herman '294 container system has a lower section with a reduceddiameter and the outlet port is in a sidewall of the lower section sothat the center of gravity when the tank is partially full is closer tothe center of the container, and stability is improved. Reducing thediameter of the lower section however reduces volume and capacitycompared to a conventional container with a constant diameter from topto bottom.

In order to maximize capacity, the diameter of such transportablecontainers is typically the maximum allowable for movement along publicroads. In order to keep within height restrictions the trailers used fortransporting them are of the type commonly referred to as goosenecktrailers where the load bed is lower than the fifth wheel hitch of thehighway tractors towing them, and a hitch assembly extends upward fromthe front end of the load bed and then forward over the fifth wheelhitch on the tractor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure provides a transportable container apparatus andmethod that overcome problems in the prior art.

In a first embodiment the present disclosure provides a transportablecontainer apparatus comprising a container assembly comprising acontainer and a base, the container assembly configured to betransported to a work site in a substantially horizontal transportorientation, and to be raised to a substantially vertical workingorientation with the container extending upward from the base. Thecontainer comprises a hoppered floor configured, when the containerassembly is in the working orientation, to direct granular material inthe container to a discharge opening substantially in a center of thehoppered floor of the container, and a gate mechanism operative tocontrol a flow of granular material through the discharge opening. Aplurality of chutes is fixed to the container assembly and configuredsuch that when the container assembly is in the working orientation,each chute slopes downward and outward from a corresponding chute input,located under a central portion of the hoppered floor, to acorresponding chute output. A distributor assembly is mounted under thedischarge opening and is operative, when the container assembly is inthe working orientation, to receive granular material from the dischargeopening and direct the received granular material into any one of thechute inputs, and a distributor control is operative to maneuver thedistributor assembly to direct granular material into a selected chuteinput.

In a second embodiment the present disclosure provides a method oftransporting a container and installing same at a work site in asubstantially vertical working orientation to deposit granular materialfrom the container into a receiving apparatus. The method comprisesmounting the container in a container assembly comprising the containerwith a hoppered floor and a base; configuring the hoppered floor suchthat when the container assembly is in the working orientation, granularmaterial in the container is directed to a discharge openingsubstantially in a center of the hoppered floor of the container;attaching a plurality of chutes to the container assembly andconfiguring the chutes such that when the container assembly is in theworking orientation, each chute slopes downward and outward from acorresponding chute input, located under a central portion of thehoppered floor, to a corresponding chute output; transporting thecontainer assembly to the work site on a trailer in a substantiallyhorizontal transport orientation, and raising the container assembly tothe working orientation at the work site with the container extendingupward from the base resting on a ground surface, wherein a location ofthe container assembly and a location of the receiving apparatus arearranged such that the receiving apparatus receives granular materialfrom the chute output of a selected chute; depositing the granularmaterial into the container; and opening the discharge opening anddirecting granular material from the discharge opening into the chuteinput of the selected chute.

In the disclosed transportable container apparatus and method theapparatus is carried with one side thereof supported on a trailer andwhen the container apparatus is erected, granular material can bedischarged to any one of the other three sides of the apparatus,providing considerable versatility in arranging the containers andreceiving apparatuses in a crowded work site with limited access routes.The capacity of the container increases due to the extension of thecontainer over the hitch assembly of a gooseneck trailer which increasesthe volume of the container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof,preferred embodiments are provided in the accompanying detaileddescription which may be best understood in conjunction with theaccompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the several diagramsare labeled with like numbers, and where:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the transportable containerapparatus of the present disclosure in a vertical orientation at a worksite;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a horizontaltransport orientation supported on a gooseneck trailer for transport tothe work site;

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional side view of the distributor assembly,hoppered container floor, and chutes of the embodiment of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of the distributor assembly of theembodiment of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of three of the embodiments of thecontainer apparatus of FIG. 1 with chutes thereof oriented at 90 degreeswith respect to each other and discharging to three different sides ofthe apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a schematic top view of three of the embodiments of thecontainer apparatus of FIG. 1 arranged to discharge granular materialinto the same receiving apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate an embodiment of a transportable containerapparatus 1 of the present disclosure. The apparatus 1 comprises acontainer assembly 3 comprising a container 5 and a base 7. Thecontainer assembly 3 is configured to be transported to a work site in ahorizontal transport orientation, shown in FIG. 2 , and to be raised toa vertical working orientation with the container 5 extending upwardfrom the base 7 as shown in FIG. 1 .

The container 5 comprising a hoppered floor 9 configured, when thecontainer assembly 3 is in the working orientation, to direct granularmaterial in the container 5 to a discharge opening 11 substantially in acenter of the hoppered floor 9 of the container 5, and a gate mechanism13 operative to control a flow of granular material through thedischarge opening 11.

A plurality of chutes 15 are fixed to the container assembly 3 andconfigured such that when the container assembly 3 is in the workingorientation, each chute 15 slopes downward and outward from acorresponding chute input 15X, located under a central portion of thehoppered floor 9, to a corresponding chute output 15Y located outsidethe base 7.

In the illustrated apparatus 1 the base 7 includes a lower base portion7B configured to rest on a ground surface and an upper base portion 7Aextending from the lower base portion 7B to the container 5, and thechutes 15 are mounted to the upper base portion 7A and extend downwardand outward from the upper base portion 7A. The upper base portion 7Ahas a base diameter DB smaller than a container diameter DC of thecontainer 3 and since it is desired to have the container dimensions atthe maximum allowable for maximum capacity, the outer ends of the chutes15 are within the container diameter CD and do not extend beyond theouter wall of the container 5.

A distributor assembly 17, schematically illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 ,is mounted under the discharge opening 11 and is operative to receivegranular material from the discharge opening 11 and direct the receivedgranular material into any one of the chute inputs 15X. A distributorcontrol 19 operative to maneuver the distributor assembly 17 to directgranular material into a selected chute input 15X.

In the illustrated apparatus 1 the distributor assembly 17 is providedby a distributor spout 21 rotatably mounted about a substantiallyvertical distributor axis DA to the hoppered floor 9 of the container 5under the discharge opening 11, and the distributor control 19 isoperative to rotate the distributor spout 21 about the spout axis SA. Inthe illustrated distributor assembly 17, the distributor spout 21 isattached to a catch pan 23 that is rotatable about the spout axis SA.The catch pan 23 catches the granular material flowing from thedischarge opening 11 and the spout 21 in turn directs the material intothe selected chute input 15X. The distributor control 19 isschematically illustrated as a crank turning a gear engaging the rim ofthe catch plate 23 but could be of any design as is known in the art.

In the illustrated apparatus 1 the discharge end 21Y of the distributorspout 21 is smaller than the chute inputs 15X and above the chute inputs15X such that granular material discharged from the discharge end 21Y ofthe distributor spout 21 is received by the chute input 15X of theselected chute 15 without spillage.

The illustrated apparatus 1 has first, second, and third chutes 15A,15B, 15C oriented at substantially 90 degrees with respect to each othersuch that the chute outlets 15Y of respective first, second, and thirdchutes 15A, 15B, 15C are on respective first, second, and third sides3A, 3B, 3C of the container assembly 3. The fourth side 3D of thecontainer assembly 3 is configured to rest on a trailer in thehorizontal transport orientation.

The illustrated container assembly 3 is configured to rest on goosenecktrailer 25 comprising a load bed 27, and a hitch assembly 29 extendingupward from a front end of the load bed 27 and then forward. The upperportion 5A of the container 5 extends forward over the hitch assembly29. The container 5 is cylindrical and includes an upper recess 31 inthe upper portion thereof on the fourth side 3D of the containerassembly 3, and when in the horizontal transport orientation, a lowercylindrical portion 5B of the container 5 rests on the load bed 27, andthe upper recess 31 extends forward over the hitch assembly 29.

The illustrated apparatus 1 is also configured to rest on a goosenecktrailer 25 where the load bed 27 comprises a rear bed section 27R thatis at vertical location higher than a front bed section 27F. The lowercylindrical portion 5B of the container 5 rests on the front bed section27F and the base 7 of the container assembly 3 extends rearward from thecontainer 5 over the rear bed section 27R, and the bottom end of thebase 7 is rearward of the load bed 27. The container 5 here includes alower recess 33 in a lower portion thereof on the fourth side 3D of thecontainer assembly 3 extending into the floor 9 thereof and the lowerrecess 33 extends over the rear bed section 27R.

Configuring the container 5 with a recessed upper portion extending overthe hitch assembly 29 provides a significant increase in the volume ofthe container 5 and thus in its capacity, such that fewer containerassemblies 3 are required to store a similar amount of granularmaterial. Granular material can be discharged through any one of thechutes 15A, 15B, 15C as shown in FIG. 5 , thus providing flexibility ofplacement of the apparatuses 1.

The illustrated apparatus 1 also comprises a chute spout 35 movablymounted to the upper base portion 7A and configured such that the chutespout 35 is movable to operating locations corresponding to each chute15, and wherein at each operating location a spout input 35X of thechute spout 35 is oriented to receive granular material from thecorresponding chute output 15Y, and a spout output 35Y of the chutespout 35 is oriented to discharge the received granular material beyondan outer edge of the lower base portion 7B.

The upper base portion 7A is cylindrical and upper and lower horizontalrings 37A, 37B are attached to the vertical walls thereof, and the chutespout 35 is mounted on a roller assembly 39 engaged in the rings 37. Fortransport the chute spout 35 folds to a transport position within thecontainer diameter CD as shown in FIG. 2 where it does not extend beyondthe outer wall of the container 5.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates one possible arrangement of three ofthe transportable container apparatuses 1A, 1B, 1C of the presentdisclosure installed at a work site and arranged to discharge granularmaterial into a receiving apparatus 41. The fourth side 3D of eachapparatus 1 faces to the left of the arrangement. The trailer carryingthe first container apparatus 1A is backed in the direction of the arrowinto position to raise the first container apparatus 1A to theillustrated vertical working position and then driven away. Next thetrailer carrying the second container apparatus 1B is backed in thedirection of the arrow into position to raise the second containerapparatus 1B to the illustrated vertical working position and thendriven away. Finally the trailer carrying the third container apparatus1C is backed in the direction of the arrow into position to raise thethird container apparatus 1C to the illustrated vertical workingposition.

The chute spouts 35 on each container apparatus 1 are moved so the spoutoutput 35Y of the corresponding chute spout 35 is oriented to dischargethe granular material into the receiving apparatus 41, and thedistributor assembly 17 of each container apparatus 1 is moved todeliver granular material to the chute 15 corresponding to the locationof the chute spout 35, and all three container apparatuses 1A, 1B, 1Care then ready to be filled with granular material and when desired thecontents of each can be discharged into the receiving apparatus 41. Thechute spout 35 may telescope and pivot about a vertical axis to adjust aposition of the spout output 35Y.

The present disclosure also provides a method of transporting acontainer 5 and installing same at a work site in a substantiallyvertical working orientation to deposit granular material from thecontainer 5 into a receiving apparatus 41. The method comprises mountingthe container 5 in a container assembly 3 comprising the container 3with a hoppered floor 9 and a base 7; configuring the hoppered floor 9such that when the container assembly 3 is in the working orientation,granular material in the container 5 is directed to a discharge opening11 substantially in a center of the hoppered floor 9 of the container 3;attaching a plurality of chutes 15 to the container assembly andconfiguring the chutes 15 such that when the container assembly 3 is inthe working orientation, each chute 15 slopes downward and outward froma corresponding chute input 15X, located under a central portion of thehoppered floor 9, to a corresponding chute output 15Y; transporting thecontainer assembly 3 to the work site on a trailer 25 in a substantiallyhorizontal transport orientation, and raising the container assembly 3to the working orientation at the work site with the container 5extending upward from the base 7 resting on a ground surface 43, whereina location of the container assembly 3 and a location of the receivingapparatus 41 are arranged such that the receiving apparatus 41 receivesgranular material from the chute output 15Y of a selected chute 15;depositing the granular material into the container 5; opening thedischarge opening 11 and directing granular material from the dischargeopening 11 into the chute input 15X of the selected chute 15.

The disclosed transportable container apparatus 1 and method provideincreased capacity due to the extension of the container 5 over thehitch assembly 29 of a gooseneck trailer 25 which increase the volume ofthe container 5. It is highly desirable to provide as much volume andcapacity in a given foot print in the crowded work sites where theapparatus 1 will typically be used. The disclosed container apparatus 1is carried on one side of the trailer 25 and when erected can dischargegranular material to any one of the other three sides of the apparatus1, providing considerable versatility in arranging the containers 5 andreceiving apparatuses 41 in a crowded work site with limited accessroutes.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous changes and modifications willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all such suitable changes or modificationsin structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fallwithin the scope of the claimed invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A transportable container apparatus comprising: acontainer assembly comprising a base and a container that is above thebase when the container assembly is in a vertical working orientation;the container comprises a hoppered floor configured to direct granularmaterial in the container to a discharge opening when the containerassembly is in the vertical working orientation; and a plurality ofchutes configured such that, when the container assembly is in thevertical working orientation, each chute slopes downward and outwardfrom a corresponding chute input, located under the discharge opening,to a corresponding chute output, such that the corresponding chute inputof each of the chutes is beneath and vertically aligned with thedischarge opening and the corresponding chute output of each of thechutes is not vertically aligned with the discharge opening.
 2. Thetransportable container apparatus of claim 1, wherein the containerassembly is configured to be transported to a work site in a horizontaltransport orientation, and to be raised to the vertical workingorientation with the container extending upward from the base.
 3. Thetransportable container apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hoppered floorof the container has a frustoconical shape and the discharge opening isin a center of the hoppered floor of the container.
 4. The transportablecontainer apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a gate mechanismoperative to control a flow of granular material through the dischargeopening.
 5. The transportable container apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe chutes are fixed to the container assembly.
 6. The transportablecontainer apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a distributorassembly mounted under the discharge opening and operative, when thecontainer assembly is in the vertical working orientation, to receivegranular material from the discharge opening and direct the receivedgranular material into a selected one of the chute inputs depending onan orientation of the distributor assembly.
 7. The transportablecontainer apparatus of claim 6 further comprising: a distributor controloperative to maneuver the distributor assembly to any one of a pluralityof different orientations, wherein the distributor assembly isconfigured to direct granular material into a selected one of the chuteinputs in each respective one of the different orientations.
 8. Thetransportable container apparatus of claim 7, wherein the distributorassembly is provided by a distributor spout rotatably mounted about asubstantially vertical spout axis to the hoppered floor of the containerunder the discharge opening, and wherein the distributor control isoperative to rotate the distributor spout about the spout axis.
 9. Thetransportable container apparatus of claim 8, wherein a discharge end ofthe distributor spout is smaller than the chute inputs and above thechute inputs such that granular material discharged from the dischargeend of the distributor spout is received by the selected chute input.10. The transportable container apparatus of claim 1, wherein theplurality of chutes comprises first, second, and third chutes orientedat substantially 90 degrees with respect to each other such thatrespective first, second, and third chute outlets are on respectivefirst, second, and third sides of the container assembly, and wherein afourth side of the container assembly is configured to rest on a trailerin the horizontal transport orientation.
 11. The transportable containerapparatus of claim 10, wherein the container assembly is configured torest on a gooseneck trailer comprising a load bed, and a hitch assemblyextending upward from a front end of the load bed and then forward, andwherein an upper portion of the container extends forward over the hitchassembly.
 12. The transportable container apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe base comprises a lower base portion configured to rest on a groundsurface and an upper base portion extending from the lower base portionto the container, and wherein the chutes are mounted to the upper baseportion and extend downward and outward from the upper base portion. 13.The transportable container apparatus of claim 12, further comprising achute spout movably mounted to the upper base portion and configuredsuch that the chute spout is movable to operating locationscorresponding to each chute, and wherein at each operating location aspout input of the chute spout is oriented to receive granular materialfrom the corresponding chute output, and a spout output of the chutespout is oriented to discharge the received granular material beyond acylindrical outer edge of the lower base portion.
 14. The transportablecontainer apparatus of claim 13 wherein the upper base portion issubstantially cylindrical and with upper and lower substantiallyhorizontal rings attached to vertical walls thereof, and wherein thechute spout is mounted on a roller assembly engaged in the upper andlower rings.
 15. The transportable container apparatus of claim 14wherein the upper base portion has a base diameter smaller than acontainer diameter of the container and wherein an outer end of eachchute is within the container diameter, and wherein the chute spoutfolds to a transport position within the container diameter.
 16. Atransportable container apparatus comprising: a container assemblycomprising a container; the container comprising a hoppered floorconfigured to direct granular material in the container to a dischargeopening; a plurality of chutes configured such that each chute slopesdownward and outward from a corresponding chute input, located under thedischarge opening; and a distributor assembly mounted under thedischarge opening and operative, such that, when the container assemblyis in a vertical working orientation, the distributor assembly receivesgranular material from the discharge opening and directs the receivedgranular material into a selected one of the chute inputs depending onan orientation of the distributor assembly.
 17. A transportablecontainer apparatus comprising: a container assembly comprising acontainer; the container comprising a hoppered floor configured todirect granular material in the container to a discharge opening; aplurality of chutes configured such that each chute slopes downward andoutward from a corresponding chute input, located under the dischargeopening, wherein the container assembly is configured to be transportedto a work site in a horizontal transport orientation, and to be raisedto the vertical working orientation with the container extending upwardfrom the base; and a distributor assembly mounted under the dischargeopening and operative, such that, when the container assembly is in thevertical working orientation, the distributor assembly receives granularmaterial from the discharge opening and directs the received granularmaterial into a selected one of the chute inputs depending on anorientation of the distributor assembly.
 18. The transportable containerapparatus of claim 17 further comprising: a distributor controloperative to maneuver the distributor assembly to any one of a pluralityof different orientations, wherein the distributor assembly isconfigured to direct granular material into a selected one of the chuteinputs in each respective one of the different orientations.
 19. Thetransportable container apparatus of claim 18, wherein the distributorassembly is provided by a distributor spout rotatably mounted about asubstantially vertical spout axis to the hoppered floor of the containerunder the discharge opening, and wherein the distributor control isoperative to rotate the distributor spout about the spout axis.
 20. Thetransportable container apparatus of claim 19, wherein a discharge endof the distributor spout is smaller than the chute inputs and above thechute inputs such that granular material discharged from the dischargeend of the distributor spout is received by the selected chute input.21. The transportable container apparatus of claim 17, wherein theplurality of chutes comprises first, second, and third chutes orientedat substantially 90 degrees with respect to each other such thatrespective first, second, and third chute outlets are on respectivefirst, second, and third sides of the container assembly, and wherein afourth side of the container assembly is configured to rest on a trailerin the horizontal transport orientation.
 22. The transportable containerapparatus of claim 21, wherein the container assembly is configured torest on a gooseneck trailer comprising a load bed, and a hitch assemblyextending upward from a front end of the load bed and then forward, andwherein an upper portion of the container extends forward over the hitchassembly.